New York Man Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To Three Months In Prison For Exporting High-Grade Carbon Fiber To China

BUREAU OF INDUSTRY AND SECURITY

For Immediate Release: November 26, 2013

Office of Congressional and Public Affairs

Contact -- BIS Public Affairs: 202-482-2721

New York Man Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To Three Months

In Prison For Exporting High-Grade Carbon Fiber To China

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that PETER GROMACKI, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to three months in prison for exporting high-grade carbon fiber to China. GROMACKI pled guilty in July 2013 before United States District Judge Edgardo Ramos to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA"), one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of making false statements. Judge Ramos also imposed today's sentence.

According to the Indictment, statements made during GROMACKI'S guilty plea proceeding, and the Government's sentencing submission:

From at least 2006 through 2012, GROMACKI conspired to transship carbon fiber from the United States to China, including a shipment of U.S.-made, high-grade T-700 carbon fiber. T-700 carbon fiber has applications in aerospace and nuclear engineering. High-grade carbon fiber is particularly well-suited for gas centrifuges used for uranium enrichment.

In order to evade United States restrictions on export of this type of carbon fiber to China, GROMACKI enlisted the help of co-conspirators in Europe and China and made false statements on U.S. customs forms.

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GROMACKI, 54, resides in Orange County, New York.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the New York Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations; and the Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security, of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Mr. Bharara also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division.

This case is being handled by the Office's Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason P.W. Halperin and Andrea L. Surratt are in charge of the prosecution.